GOOD PRACTICE GUIDE 202

Energy efficiency for food retailers

Cut fuel bills by 20%

Boost profits and be more competitive Benefits for large groups and single stores Help to combat global warmingGOOD PRACTICE GUIDE 202

ARCHIVED DOCUMENT BEST PRACTICE

PROGRAMME ENERGY EFFICIENCY FOR FOOD RETAILERS

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE General energy efficiency advice for retailers can beThis Guide is one of a series One of the few areas where retailers can make found in Good Practice Guide 190, Energyproduced for retailers as part major cost savings with little investment or efficiency action pack for retail premises. Topicsof the Department of the expertise and without affecting customer service covered in GPG 190 include: raising awareness ofEnvironment, Transport and is energy consumption. energy efficiency; training staff; setting targets andthe Regions (DETR) Energy assessing performance; and carrying out energyEfficiency Best Practice By using energy more efficiently retailers can: inspections.programme. As well as cut fuel bills by 20% or moretargeting specific retail see their profits rise accordingly Achieving energy efficiency in retail outlets is asectors, the series covers help to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide combination of:energy efficiency in building (CO2), a major cause of global warming. managing the energy usedrefurbishment and lighting. ensuring that energy-consuming equipmentFor details of other Guides This Guide is for food retailers everyone from local and systems are efficient.see back page. food stores to large supermarket groups. Designed for energy managers, store managers and owners or The structure of this Guide reflects these two operators of individual stores, it covers the key areas components. The energy management section where savings can be made and provides advice on outlines the steps in implementing an energy appropriate energy-saving measures. action plan. The technical section covers the principal areas of energy consumption within the store, with suggestions on how technical measures can improve energy-efficient operation of systems.

A route map is shown, left, to help you find your

way through the Guide, indicating where specific Key actions for saving energy page 6 areas and issues are covered. Although you can adopt a pick-and-mix approach, you may choose to use the route map to check for missing areas of potential energy savings. Energy Technical measures Management The checklist opposite will also help you to assess Implementing an the effectiveness of any agreed actions, once you action plan have read the Guide and implemented the pages 4/5 measures. Refrigeration page 6

Case System design, Other issues layout and selection Lighting Building energy Operation page 8 management system

Key actions for saving energy

Refrigeration is generally the largest user of energy Case study Safeway chairman Sir Alistair Grant introduces the energy efficiency video Money to Burn,in food stores, followed by lighting, heating and stressing that it is vitally important thathot water, and air-conditioning and ventilation. Safeway controls its energy costs. The video has been distributed to stores with aSaving energy in these areas requires a number comprehensive manual and training forof energy management actions and technical a three-person energy team in each store.measures.

Energy management actions Technical measures

Minimise air-conditioning requirements. Select the most appropriate refrigeration Use computer software (eg spreadsheets or systems and specify high-efficiency dedicated Building Energy Management compressors and controls. System (BEMS) software) to monitor and Choose efficient boiler and air-conditioning plant. control the energy used by refrigeration and Use heat rejected from central refrigeration for services plant (eg monitoring and targeting). water heating or to heat the store. Ensure that display cabinets do not waste Ensure that lighting in sales areas uses energy- cooling, are correctly stocked and have efficient lamps and fittings, and that lighting night insulation blinds that are used levels are not excessive and are reduced outside regularly. trading hours.

EFFICIENCY CHECKLIST If you are taking energy efficiency seriously, your answer to most of Buildings, plant and equipment Yes No the questions below should be yes! Review the checklist again Do you have energy efficiency standards for when you have read this Guide and taken any necessary action. building construction, lighting and any central refrigeration equipment? Management Yes No Do you have a board member responsible for Do you use energy-efficient display cabinets? energy matters? Do your stores use lower lighting levels out

Is there someone in each store responsible for of trading hours? energy matters? Have you considered using heat ejected from Do you know if your stores use less energy than refrigeration systems to help to heat your stores? food stores in other competitor groups? (See Good Practice Guide 190.)

Operation and maintenance

Do you know the cost savings made by the group Can you ensure that store lighting, ventilation and from any existing or past energy efficiency activity? heating are on only when required? Do you publicise your energy efficiency Are cold-stores and refrigerated displays checked achievements to staff, customers and shareholders? regularly for badly fitting seals and doors?

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ENERGY MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTING AN ACTION PLAN

Implementing an action plan

Maintaining control over energy use and making improvements year by year requires planning and a programme of action. The action plan below follows a suggested route to success, from the first step of obtaining top-level commitment, through to the stage where energy efficiency is an ongoing feature of management culture.

START

Obtain top-level commitment and make sure

someone is responsible for energy management 1 Energy Management Action Plan Set up a system for recording and assessing information from utility bills at each store 2 Check fuel, electricity and water contracts, and change where appropriate 3 Opportunities for early savings Inform and motivate staff to use good practice and avoid waste 4 Assess the performance of stores and target the largest and worst-performing stores 5 6 Implement programmes of energy-saving Ongoing energy measures

management

Review progress, publicise savings and revise plans

if necessary 7

ARCHIVED DOCUMENT 4 ENERGY EFFICIENCY FOR FOOD RETAILERS

ENERGY MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTING AN ACTION PLAN

Obtain top-level commitment

1A successful energy management programme requires a specified person to be responsible for energy. Large groupsmay have a designated energy manager, but in smaller groups or single stores this position may be held by a seniormanager or store manager.

Set up an information system

To control energy costs you will need a system for keeping records of the energy use and costs at individual stores.The system should allow you to compare energy use in stores from one period to another, and between stores. Itshould also allow you to assess the performance company-wide.For further details see GPG 190. 2Check fuel and electricity supply contracts and tariffs Big savings may be achieved by changing your supply tariffs or, if you are a large user, obtaining competitive quotations from the open contract market (restricted until 1998 to electricity supplies costing more than 20 000 a year and gas supplies costing more than 1000).

Tariff and contract savings can make a valuable start to an energy management programme and generate savings which can be used for investment purposes. Food stores are in a good position to obtain tariff and contract savings because refrigeration provides a steady 3 demand, which is popular with suppliers. Seek further cost savings by ensuring that power factor and maximum demand are appropriate for the tariffs used. Start by holding discussions with your existing suppliers. You can investigate options yourself or bring in specialists.

Inform and motivate staff

Sensible use of buildings and intelligent operation of equipment by staff can save 5% to 10% of energy costs. Staff must be motivated to reduce usage and they should be aware of techniques to help them achieve savings (see GPG 190).

4 Savings will be maintained only if there is a continuing programme of information, posters and other initiatives to keep up awareness. Area and store managers can be motivated by store performance comparisons. Staff may be motivated by drawing parallels to home energy costs and by the environmental aspects of energy saving. Evidence of commitment from senior management greatly helps to motivate at all levels.

Assess the performance of stores

An index which relates energy use in a store to its floor area can identify poorly performing stores. Accepted yardstick figures for energy use and cost are provided in Introduction to energy efficiency in shops and stores (EEB 3). These figures can also be used to assess the whole estate should you be setting more ambitious energy-saving targets? 5Implement programmes of energy-saving measures Some savings can be made at once through good housekeeping measures, at little or no expense. Other measures may require time, expertise or money these should be investigated and planned more carefully. Have one or more representative stores surveyed by in-house staff or specialists options for savings should be costed and their benefits and savings assessed. A fully costed programme with payback details can then be drawn up. 6Review progress and revise plans An overview of energy efficiency achievements should be presented regularly at board level and included in the

company annual report.

Energy targets, investment plans and actions should be reviewed and updated annually. 7

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TECHNICAL MEASURES REFRIGERATION

REFRIGERATION Open-fronted multi-deck refrigerated display

REFRIGERANTS AND Refrigeration can account for up to 50% of a food cabinets are available which incorporate air pathsGLOBAL WARMING stores energy costs. Compressors are the main and diffusers that virtually eliminate leakage ofThe Montreal Protocol consumers of this energy and they should be sized cooled air. Select cabinets with good levels of(1987) resulted in the to match the cooling load. Where wide variations insulation and easy-to-fit night blinds. For displaysbanning of refrigerants in load can occur, variable speed drives should be where goods are moved less often, consider clearusing chlorofluorocarbons able to match the compressor capacity to the load day covers or plastic strip curtains.(CFCs), and the phasing as closely as possible.out of some of the initial For cold-rooms, specify high standards ofalternatives to CFCs in The main areas where savings in refrigeration costs insulation with effective, easy-to-use door closures.favour of refrigerants with can be made are:zero ozone depletion system design, layout and selection Operationpotential (ODP). operation Avoid over-filling shelves. Apart from the maintenance danger of spoilage, over-filling may mean thatSome low-ODP refrigerants retrofit measures. set temperatures have to be lowered in order toare, in fact, less efficient maintain all products in a safe condition.than the refrigerants they Design, selection and layout Watch for excessive ice build-up. This can be areplace. Different options The main issue to be addressed with refrigerated sign of air leakage into and out of the unit, orcan be compared by using storage and display cabinets is the removal of heat inappropriate defrosting procedures.the total equivalent from the refrigerator condensers. This waste heat Ensure that insulating covers and blinds are usedwarming impact (TEWI). can lead to overheating of the store and discomfort as intended. Leaving them off can increase energyThis takes account of the for staff and customers. use for both refrigeration and store heating.direct global warming Ensure that lighting in cabinets is switched offfrom refrigerant losses, If cabinets can be grouped together, there is the outside trading hours, and that cold-storeand the indirect warming potential either to remove heat from the units and lights are used only when necessary. This savesfrom emissions released by recover it, or to discharge the heat directly to the electricity for lighting and also saves thethe power station outside. Alternatively, cooling can be provided electricity required for the refrigeration togenerating electricity for from a central unit remote from the sales area, or remove the heat generated by the light.the refrigeration plant. via a split system. Both options provide the potential for recovering heat to provide space The latest cabinet designs have light piped in,Any supplier claiming that heating or hot water. using fibre optics, to minimise lighting heat input.its products have a global

Casewarming benefit shouldbe asked to justify this interms of the TEWI asdescribed in BritishStandard BS4434.

In many cases, the need to

studies Night blinds installed on refrigerated display cabinets at the Waitrose store in Windsor repaid the initial cost in three years. The initial cost This energy efficiency poster used by Iceland Frozen Food encouraged good refrigeration practice, including preventing blocked grilles,

change refrigerant can be would have been halved if the blinds had been checking curtain

viewed as an opportunity installed from new. (See Good Practice Case conditions and

to renew equipment. The Study 223, Night blinds on refrigerated cabinets.) turning off

resulting savings in open ends.

operating cost can help

pay for the replacement(as reported in GoodPractice Case Study 230, Anew refrigeration systemin a small cold-store).

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TECHNICAL MEASURES REFRIGERATION

Maintenance Retrofit measures

Ensure that temperature settings are Consider upgrading insulation for cabinets and appropriate for health and safety requirements, pipework, and door seals on fridges and cold rooms. JARGON but do not lower them further this leads to overcooling and energy waste. The current level of insulation can be assessed by visual inspection and measurement. Thermal BUSTER Ensure that defrost procedures are followed imaging can be used for more detailed surveys. Compressor comprises too infrequent and the machines lose an electric motor and efficiency due to ice build-up; too frequent and Further measures include: refrigerant pump and is excessive energy is used for defrost. Make adding insulating night covers where not the heart of a refrigeration maximum use of cheap rate electricity already fitted system. Located either usually between midnight and 7.00 am. adding day covers to freezer cabinets and to locally (eg in a display Clean condenser fins and keep air paths to refrigerated displays, if appropriate cabinet) or centrally in a condensers clear. installing efficient compressors, electronic plant room. Check door seals on cold rooms, fridges and expansion valves and advanced control Evaporator the cold part frozen food stores. Poor seals lead to air systems for central refrigeration of a fridge circuit; removes leakage, higher energy use and potential installing energy-saving controls for individual heat from a display cabinet. product spoilage and ice build-up. items using reject heat for space heating or hot Condenser the warm part water.

Case of a circuit; rejects heat to the atmosphere. Usually has a fan to aid heat loss,

studies Energy savings of 20% were achieved by Doble Quality Foods (GPCS 230) with measures which included: and may be combined with the compressor (a condensing unit).

efficient central compressors Refrigerant the fluid

larger heat exchangers which is pumped round a low-powered evaporator fans system, evaporating to comprehensive performance monitoring. remove heat and then condensing to give off heat. Advanced control systems achieved savings for Ice storage allows plant Safeway (General Information Report (GIR) 3). to run more at night when Integrated systems, ice storage and using reject electricity is cheaper and heat for store heating or hot water are among Tesco Brent Cross fish and meat counter when electricity generation many options. is more efficient, producing lower levels of CO2 Computerised control of central refrigeration emissions. In practice, plant by Plymouth and South Devon system efficiency can be Co-operative Society achieves savings by reduced and savings may avoiding unnecessary plant use. be marginal issues such as the available space for Compressor controllers installed by Iceland chillers or condenser plant Frozen Food have saved 11% of refrigeration can be decisive. costs and repaid initial costs within two years. Installed on freezer cabinets with integral compressors, the units can also work for chilled display cabinets (GPCS 27).

Chilled display cabinets at Iceland Frozen Food

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TECHNICAL MEASURES LIGHTING

LIGHTING The warmer lighting required for foodstuffs should

not be provided by tungsten lamps. Appropriate LIGHTING MYTHS fluorescent lamps, with filters if necessary, should These commonly held beliefs about lighting be specified. Special lamps with particular colour are NOT true. balances are available, but these can be inefficient. A fluorescent lamp uses so much energy High-frequency, high-efficiency fluorescent tube when it is first switched on that you fittings can save up to 20% compared with should not switch it off. traditional fluorescent lighting and can be Fluorescent lighting is too cheap to worry dimmable. Check that the light levels and power about. requirements of sales lighting are appropriate by Switching lights off shortens their lives so referring to the box Is your sales area lighting much that they should be left on. efficient? (left).

Is your sales area lighting Lighting accounts for about 20% of total energy For car parks and other external areas, high-pressure

efficient? costs in a food store. There are many opportunities sodium lamps are at least six times more efficient

Calculate the total power (in for specifying more efficient lighting equipment, than tungsten lamps (see table opposite Relative

watts) of lighting in a typical and for reducing the hours of use. Further energy consumption for similar light outputs).

part of your sales floor, add information is provided in GPG 210, Energy

frequency lights) for control Staff cooperation and possibly automatic controls

gear, and divide by the floor The main areas where savings in lighting costs can will be needed if the amount of lighting used is to

area covered by these lights. be made are: be reduced.

A result less than 15 W/m2 system design, layout and selection A half to two-thirds of sales area lighting can

is good for normal light operation be turned off out of trading hours.

levels (600-800 lux), while maintenance Lighting in staff areas, service areas and store

20 W/m2 is good for the retrofit measures. rooms should be turned off when these areas

high light levels in some are not occupied.

stores (800-1000 lux). Design, selection and layout During hours of darkness, external lights are Light levels should be appropriate to the area of needed only during trading and re-stocking the shop. Storage areas, offices and other non- times subject to safety and security public areas can be lit to different levels. requirements.

7.00 8.00 9.00am 9.00pm

TECHNICAL MEASURES LIGHTING

A last person out switch can be installed so that

it is simple to turn off everything not needed at Case studyHigh-efficiency sales area lighting saves the JARGONnight. Similarly, a non-trading switch can be Plymouth and South Devon Co-operative Society 20 000 a year at its Transit Way store.installed to reduce lighting levels while the storeis occupied outside trading hours. A high level of illumination (1100 lux) is BUSTER provided on the sales floor, but high-frequency,Central automatic controls can be programmed to low-energy fluorescent lights in reflective Lux the SI unit ofturn lights on and off to match trading times, fittings achieve this with a power consumption illuminance, or amount ofthough it is essential to retain local manual override. of 25 W/m2 less than many stores with much light on a surface. The lower levels of lighting. range for sales floors inMaintenance food stores is typically 600Maintenance is essential to ensure the required to 1000 lux.level of luminance is provided. Failure to clean lampsand luminaires can result in increased energy Ballast/control gear consumption by raising lighting levels; it also leads apparatus to start andto overheating and premature failure of lamps and control the currentassociated equipment (see figure 2). GPG 210 through fluorescent andprovides more information on maintaining other discharge lamps.lighting systems. Efficacy a measure of theRetrofit measures effectiveness of a lightingRefurbishment and retrofit present an ideal installation in convertingopportunity for energy efficiency lighting measures electrical power to light.to be incorporated into an existing retail outlet. In The units are lumens/watt.addition to improving light levels and savingenergy, you can also alter the look of the store by Luminaire the correctthe choice of luminaires. GPG 210 gives further term for a light fitting; itadvice on refurbishment. controls the light from a lamp and includes all components for fixing, Relative energy consumption for protecting the lamps and similar light outputs connecting them to the % electricity supply.

Department of the Environment, Transport and the

TECHNICAL MEASURES VENTILATION, HEATING AND COOLING

JARGON VENTILATION, HEATING AND COOLING Ventilation, heating and cooling can account for Case study Sainsburys Beckenham store has two-speed 25% of the energy costs in a food store. Electricity fans so the ventilation rate can be reduced atBUSTER for fans alone can account for more than half the times of low occupancy (detected by an air cost of ventilation, heating and cooling. quality sensor).Combined heat and power(CHP) plant generates The main areas where savings in ventilation, Ventilation and heating systems wereelectricity and at the same heating and cooling costs can be made are: designed to make use of waste heat fromtime provides useful heat for system design refrigeration. Heat from lighting and from thestore heating and hot water. operation bakery is also re-used. The store uses high- maintenance. efficiency gas boilers for top-up heating orCondensing boilers hot water not provided from waste heat.provide efficiencies of up System design Heat curtains to external doors are controlledto 90%, mainly because Heating systems should use high-efficiency to operate only during trading hours andheat is recovered from the equipment and be designed for flexible control. when the outside temperature is below 15C.flue gases by condensation. Specify high-efficiency or condensing boilers.This process lowers the Isolate domestic hot water from space heatingtemperature of the flue systems.gases to between 40C and Ensure that heating is not used in areas where80C instead of over 250C it is not needed.as in conventional boilers. Turn off heating systems in warmer weather. Automatic controls are available which measure air quality to indicate the number of people presentVariable speed drives A detailed analysis should indicate whether cooling and reduce the ventilation at times of lowelectronic devices that is required throughout the store or only in specific occupancy. Used with variable speed fans, suchcontrol the electrical supply areas. Although the capital and running costs of controls will reduce fan power, saving heating coststo motors to match output local systems are higher per unit floor area than for in winter and cooling costs (if any) in summer.more closely with demand. centralised systems, if the treated area is smaller they should be more economical. Door curtains should be used in loading bays to reduce heat loss. Operation Bakery ovens should be operated only when Maintenance needed. They should not be turned on until Maintenance should be given prime consideration required and should be shut down after use. at the design stage since, if access is difficult, Shutdown can be achieved in stages if less oven maintenance could be neglected. For example, space is required towards the end of the day. allowance should be made for replacement of filters to ductwork and refrigeration units. To recover heat from a central refrigeration system to heat the store, ventilation and heating plant Retrofit measures must include appropriate heat exchangers. There The main energy-saving opportunities are through: must also be arrangements for rejecting refrigeration the use of improved controls to match supply heat if the store does not need to be heated. volumes to actual requirements the use of efficient equipment such as variable If refrigeration energy is to be used directly for speed fan and pump motor drives heating, display cabinets must have integral heat recovery from extracted air compressors. These will give out heat to the aisles recirculation of room air. and so reduce heating energy requirements. It may also be possible to make use of spilt cold air from Further information is provided in GPG 201, chiller cabinets to cool other areas of the store. Energy efficient refurbishment of retail buildings.

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TECHNICAL MEASURES OTHER ISSUES

AUTOMATIC CONTROLS remote fault diagnosis, monitoring and

A building energy management system (BEMS) can operation via a telephone connection to abe a powerful energy efficiency tool, but care is central console, allowing central staff to haverequired in its planning and operation. It can more control over time schedules and settings,provide: while allowing limited local control flexible control of building services, lighting ease of use (with suitable design and training). and other systems, allowing the use of equipment only when needed.

J Sainsbury has developed a remote

Case studies Waitrose has employed remote monitoring to computerised monitoring and diagnosis tighten control of lighting, heating and system which automatically communicates refrigeration in more than 80 of its food energy anomalies to individual stores within stores. Savings of 600 000 were identified 24 hours, ensuring that problems are rapidly within six months from reduced energy use resolved. and protecting refrigerated stock.

WATERWater supplies can be a major cost, and Case study Water controls installed in Safeway stores haveprocedures should be developed to identify leaks saved 200 000 m3 of water, saving 250 000 inand avoid wasteful practices. Staff motivation the first year of operation. Automatic urinalshould encompass use of water. In addition, control units allow operation of the cisternautomatic controls can be installed to reduce only after a urinal has been used.consumption.